This invention relates to cage systems for small animals and more particularly relates to connectors used to join various parts of the system together.
A number of small animal cage systems are presently available to house such animals as hamsters, ferrets, gerbils etc. One of the best known and most popular of these systems is sold under the trademark HABITRAIL by Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. of Montreal, Canada and its United States subsidiary Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. of Mansfield, Mass. That system includes a large number of different items including cages, plastic enclosures such as living quarters, play stations, exercise and eating compartments, towers etc that are joined together by tubes of different length and connectors that couple the tubes and various items of the system with one another. Competitive systems have somewhat similar arrangements.
One object of the present invention is to provide a connector that is easy to use and operates effectively to join the various parts of the system together.
Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a connector that does not require a specific circumferential orientation between the connector and either of the parts of the system to be joined by the connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector that creates a strong and secure connection between the two parts of the system that are joined together by it.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an object is to provide a connector that is easy to handle and has a good gripping surface so that it may be attached to and removed from any item to which it is joined.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an object is to provide a connector that accommodates a wide range of dimensional tolerances in the objects to which it is to be connected.
To accomplish these and other objects, the connector of the present invention includes an outer ring and an inner ring that are circumferentially movable with respect to one another. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the inner ring is discontinuous, composed of two or more sections with their adjacent ends closely spaced to form a substantially continuous ring. The discontinuity of the inner ring enables the effective diameter of the inner ring to be easily reduced so as to firmly grip a tube or other item that is to be engaged by the connector and greatly reduces manufacturing tool costs. The inner ring has a pair of parallel grooves on its inner surface that are designed to receive the ends of the members that are to be joined together by the connector. The ends of the members to be joined are essentially round so that they may fit within the inner rings and seat in the grooves. The connector and the mating ends of members to be joined by the connector may take many different forms that allow the connector to grip the members when the connector is in the locked position.
The outer surface of the inner ring and the inner surface of the outer ring carry a plurality of camming surfaces that are spaced apart a circumferential distance that is greater than that of the surfaces so that the rings can be moved relative to one another between a first position (unlocked) wherein the surfaces are disengaged in which case no compressive forces are applied to the inner ring by the outer ring, and a second position (locked) wherein they are engaged causing the outer ring to compress the inner ring to reduce its effective diameter so that it firmly grips the members. In the first position the inner ring is sized to receive the ends of the members that are to be joined together while in the second position the connector is locked onto the members so that they can not be pulled apart or otherwise separate from one another.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, separate camming surfaces are provided on both the inner and outer rings for each side of the connector that receives one of the members that are to be joined together. The camming surfaces on one side of the connector are axially aligned with the spaces between the cam surfaces on the other side so that the compression exerted on the inner ring by the outer ring when the camming surfaces are engaged is spread evenly about the connector.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the inner ring is co-injected or insert molded with a gasket made of a yieldable material so as to more firmly engage the ends of the members coupled by the connector.